Tragedy has struck.
Students and staff alike are reeling in shock after the death of a student at the University of Fort Hare.
There are several allegations of theft and that the student, who cannot be named was allegedly killed by other students over a laptop.
University spokesperson JP Roodt, in a statement says the student died on 7 October.
“A full university investigation is underway, and the institution opened a case at the Alice police station,” the statement says in part.
In the 8 October statement, JP says the institution intended on sending a delegation to the student’s next of kin to inform them of his death.
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“Psychosocial support has been activated to support student and staff,” he adds.
On Monday the six students appeared at the Dikeni Magistrate's Court after the deceased student was beaten and stabbed to death. It is alleged the altercation started at a pub in Dikeni and moved onto campus.
National Prosecuting Authority's Luxolo Tyali says the students will remain in custody until Thursday when they appear in court for a formal bail application. The accused students are aged between 21 and 25.
The SRC’s Siphokazi Mbalo says they condemn the killing of a student by other students.
“We as the Alice CSRC strongly condemn the tragic and violent killing of a fellow student who was identified and undergoing judicial processes for theft on campus. Taking the law into one's own hands is never an acceptable solution, and we firmly believe in the importance of due process and the rule of law.”
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Siphokazi further acknowledges a security problem that they have at the institution.
“We also raise concerns about the security response during this incident. It is imperative that our institution takes immediate action to improve and tighten security measures on campus to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
Our collective safety and well-being as students should always be a top priority, and we call upon the university administration to address this issue urgently.”
